


Subrosa Sorcery

by lalupinn



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Multi, Pottercest (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-20
Updated: 2020-12-20
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:13:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,965
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28191483
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lalupinn/pseuds/lalupinn
Summary: Marauder-era story in the Harry Potter universe; the Black twins. The tales, twists and adventures of Sirius & Ophelia Black (OC), and their friends through their last year at Hogwarts. The twins are trapped in a family of abusive pure blood supremacists, Ophelia and Sirius set to escape... but a plot that jeopardizes life as they know it. What lengths will she go to in order to protect those she holds most dear?
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Remus Lupin/Original Female Character(s), Sirius Black/Marlene McKinnon
Comments: 1
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

"Bittersweet, isn't it? This was our first week in Hogwarts. I can still remember the first time I laid eyes on that castle." The girl whispered, holding a photograph of two children. In the photograph, the boy had rather messy black hair which came to his shoulders in length. He was dressed in long robes, decorated with a scarlet striped tie and a matching scarf. He had his arm around a girl, who was a little shorter than he was, yet looked almost identical to him. They were laughing and their innocence surrounded them. She too had messy black hair, hers came down to her waist. She was dressed in the same type of robes, the only exception being that she was sporting emerald green.

"Are those tears I see in your eyes, Ophelia Cassiopeia Black? Since when did you get emotional? Who are you and what have you done with Phe?" the young man joked, although unable to hide the concern filling his tone. He was staring at his sister who was fiddling with photographs in an ancient chest of drawers.

"Sirius. You are five minutes older than me, not five years. When will you drop the whole protective older brother nonsense?! We are t-w-i-n-s." She shouted. Suddenly, the box she was holding leapt from her hands and crashed onto the floor. She sighed, and knelt down to retrieve the photographs. "And enough with the full names, you know I despise it."

"Alright, alright calm down before your hair sets on fire." He sighed and helped collect the album. "We've got to hurry, father will be expecting us downstairs soon, dear Bella wouldn't be happy if we were late to her fabulous party." Sirius rolled his eyes. He started fiddling with his tie and walked towards the mirror on the wall. Ophelia noticed her brother's frustration and giggled. She made herself stand as tall as she possibly could as to reach him and slowly fixed his tie. She didn't seem to notice that she was scrunching her face up into a pout as she concentrated. Sirius tried to hold back his amusement, and whispered, "I cannot believe after 17 years, your focus face still makes me laugh," finally erupting in fits of laughter.

She glared at him and slapped her brothers arm playfully, "And I cannot believe you have got to seventeen years of age and you still don't know how to fix a tie, Merlin knows how you manage to get dates." Ophelia laughed.

"Because I'm Sirius Black."

"Exactly my point." She laughed and after finally finishing his tie, her smile faded slowly. "Sirius, I know you don't like this topic of conversation, but we need to arrange plans for the end of this year. This is our last year at Hogwarts, and we have nothing planne..."

"SIRIUS! OPHELIA! DOWN HERE, NOW!" a woman's screech interrupted Ophelia's speech.

"We will discuss it tonight, I promise. But for now, we must see what the old mountain troll wants." He winked as he walked out of the room, Ophelia slowly following him with a look of fear creeping across her face.

Ophelia took one more glance in the mirror on her way out of the door, and fiddled with the hems on her dress as she made her way down the stairs. She was wearing an elegant sea blue dress which was a little too long for her, matched with heels and silver jewellery. She reached the bottom step and a fierce looking woman grabbed her arm and pulled them to the side of the corridor.

"Finally! What took you two so long? In fact, don't answer. Just hurry up and get your coats on." She pinched Ophelia's chin and observed her hair, which was pinned half-up-half-down, with a ribbon tying it at the back. "Ophelia! What on earth is that in your hair? I told you to have your hair down! Useless. Can't Even make yourself look presentable, how on earth are we going to find you a husband?" She flicked her wand and the bow disintegrated, unravelling long locks of curly black hair, leaving the young girl looking rather sad. "And you! When was the last time you cut your hair? I wish you two brats would try acting more like your brother Regulus; he's everything we need in an heir.

"Old troll." Sirius whispered as she turned her back and winked at his sister, who seemed thoroughly amused.  
  


Luckily, the woman didn't seem to hear him as she started preening her younger son, Regulus, who looked a lot like his older brother. The only difference was that Sirius had more of a rough look to him, unkempt and he was of a sturdy build. The younger boy was tall too, but rather slim build, shorter hair.

"Who'd of thought, the great Walburga Black gone deaf before she hit 50?" Sirius laughed quietly to his sister.

Suddenly, a man grasped Sirius' collar and held him against the wall. He stared into his eyes, as if he saw straight into his soul. He squirmed and attempted to push him off but the man just tightened his grip. "How dare you speak badly of your mother, boy? You will pay for not holding your tongue!" The man slapped Sirius on the cheek, and the sound echoed around the hall. But the young man didn't even flinch, staring fearlessly into the man's familiar hazel eyes. "Do you show no fear, boy? I'll teach you to show some respect." He shouted raising his arm once more. Ophelia swiftly grabbed the man's arm, shouting, "Please! Father, let him be. He didn't mean any harm!"

The man threw her off and she crashed onto the floor in a mound. He pointed his finger in Sirius' face and shouted, "You are lucky we have a party to attend to. One more mistake like that from either of you and you will wish you were never born, I promise you that. And Orion Black does not go back on his promises." He stood on Ophelia's wrist as he made his way towards his wife, with a satisfied look on his face. She winced in pain, although she tried not to make a sound. Once he was released from the hold his father had on him, Sirius quickly ran to his sister's aid. Holding her up with one arm and with the other he observed her wrist, it looked rather red already.

"We will go by floo to the Lestrange Manor. You two will behave. Don't speak unless spoken to, don't go anywhere without permission and do not ruin today, unless you want to end up like your sweet blood traitor cousin Andromeda. This is Bella's wedding day, to Sir Rodopholus, at least try to do us proud, instead of the waste of space you usually are." Orion scolded. He handed the floo powder to Ophelia. She hesitated for a moment and in response, he gave her a stern, hate filled look. She held the powder, looked at her brother and shouted in a fierce voice, "Lestrange Manor."


	2. Rocky Rum

Shadows surrounded her, as the vent swallowed her body whole. Seconds felt like minutes. Ophelia was squeezed, pinched and pulled in all kinds of directions until finally she landed in a heap on the floor of another chimney. She rubbed her face and grunted, "Damn floo, I can never manage the landing." Ophelia looked up, and realised she wasn't alone. There was a crowd full of people, all thoroughly amused at the entrance the young girl had made. Ophelia's face flushed scarlet, so much so that she could easily blend herself into the walls of the ballroom she had landed herself in. Quickly standing away from the chimney, she ruffled her dress and fixed her hair in attempt to recover from what was a purely embarrassing moment. She should be used to humiliation by now, she thought, remembering the various occasions her parents scolded her in public, and even once went to the extent of punishing her while in the company of her family.

She strode around the room slowly, mustering up the friendliest face she could, despite her current situation. She smiled at onlookers who simply observed her with a look of disgust. Ophelia couldn't help but look back towards the chimney every few seconds in hope Sirius would appear, to ease such an awkward situation with his annoying jokes or poor humour, he always seemed to make her feel better, after all, he was the only person who truly cared about her while she was growing up. However, something seemed to be delaying them, not one of her family members had turned up yet. Using the floo never usually takes this long, he's probably fussing over his hair; typical Sirius.

The ballroom she found herself in was extremely large; it had solid dark wood floor and blood red walls. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, which was congested with thick white candles. Antique pieces of furniture placed neatly around the room, followed by two large scarlet cushioned chairs, which were a similar style to thrones. One wall was covered in books; it looked a lot like the Hogwarts library. It was something she always dreamt about having in her own home once she left Grimmauld place, she had a burning passion for books and knowledge. The room had a large area in the heart of the room, presumably for dancing, where everyone else seemed to be gathered. She was amused at the thought of her cousin Bellatrix, the family Death Eater dancing in this very room. Ophelia let out a small laugh.

A tall, blonde haired man placed his hand on the small of Ophelia's back and she leapt forward, clearly startled at the unexpected act. "So, Orion decided to bring the animals out to play today, I see?" he mocked, with a smirk on his face.

"Walburga and Regulus are on their way Lucius, so to answer your question, yes, I believe he did." Ophelia spat and turned away, unexpectedly bumping into her brother.

"Touché Phe!" Sirius laughed, and at the sound of her brother, Ophelia immediately relaxed. Sirius continued by pulling his sister away from the man and left Lucius looking rather annoyed. Forgetting where she was, she hugged him tightly and the feeling of embarrassment that resonated soon vanished. "Calm down, I've only been gone for a few minutes." He joked.

Ophelia pulled away and observed her brother. She saw that his eye was rather raised and swollen. It looked red, and a cut was positioned on his eyebrow. "Sirius, what happened to your face? Why you were so late? What happened?" Ophelia whispered her voice full of concern, she stopped and touched his face, Sirius responded by moving her hands and carried on walking.

"Nothing that I can't handle, don't worry about me." 

She rolled her eyes but decided here wasn't the place to discuss it, so she dropped the subject altogether. They walked towards the bar, ignoring the vulgar looks from Lucius and his lady. As she reached her destination, she leant on the side of the bar and beamed at the house elf that was the stationed behind it. "Hello miss," Ophelia greeted the elf, who looked taken aback to be addressed in such a manner, "Please may we have one Toffee Tequila Treaty with butterscotch cream and, one..."

"Rocky rum." Sirius rolled his eyes and his sister.

"And one rocky rum, please, if you will," she asked the elf, who still looked shocked. The elf beamed and scurried off. Ophelia looked more content than she had all night. "I don't understand why you don't give them a chance Sirius, they are lovely people."

"Elves, Ophelia, they are elves. And no, they aren't lovely; they are spineless creatures that are good for nothing but servant work. Kreacher is enough to put me off looking at one for a lifetime." Sirius sighed, rather fed up of another elf speech. Every time they encounter an elf they have the same conversation. _Oh but elves are lovely - no they are not - oh but yes they are Sirius, just give them a chance- blah blah blah_. Sirius had heard it umpteen times.

"Kreacher is lovely, you just treat him badly. I remember he brought me sweets when I was ill, and he smuggled me those lovely muggle stories about princesses, which mother never allowed me to read." Ophelia ranted. "And when you went to Prongs' house for the entire summer holidays in second year, he was the only person I had who I could talk to at Grimmauld place. He's risked a lot for me Sirius. If you actually spoke to him like a person, then I'm su-"

"Alright, alright, alright, be quiet. Enough of the Elf lectures." Sirius said totally un-amused, as he stared onto the crowd. She looked annoyed and glared at Sirius, but she quickly noticed the elf had brought back two drinks as asked and a kind smile graced her face once more. One non-alcoholic tequila drink, with added cream sauces, finely decorated with a little pink umbrella and a straw, which looked rather magnificent. It even had a thinly cut, heart shaped chunk of toffee placed on the cream. The other was, a rather shabby, basic looking, rocky rum. Which wasn't decorated, and only had one lump of ice.

"Thank you very much, Miss! Have a lovely evening." She took the drinks and handed one to Sirius, who looked mildly annoyed. "See, _I told you_. It pays to be nice, you know." She giggled at her brother's un-amused facial expression, while sipping her drink out of the straw.

A couple of minutes passed and Sirius spoke, in a rather stern voice, "What you said to Malfoy was inappropriate. You know that I value jokes aimed at the old trolls, but this is not the place to do so, even if it was a witty retort. This place is swarming with Death Eaters and people who hate us. The majority of our _family_ are here tonight and if word gets back to him you said what you did, well, it's not worth thinking about. You want to pray Lucius keeps his mouth shut. You are lucky it was me who heard. You are lucky he waited to use the fl-"

"I know, I know. I can't help it; I hate it here, with these... people. I despise being involved with this bloody family. And don't even get me started on Lucius, the smug git." She pouted, which made Sirius laugh in response, "Merlin knows what Narcissa sees in him."

Sirius laughed and then said, "I feel your angst. But here you must hide your stubbornness, sarcasm and pride, as hard as that is for a Slytherin." He winked and continued, "Don't respond to their taunts, that is what they want."

Ophelia laughed, "I will try. I wish I could just get rid of the lo-"

"Mother! Regulus! Can I get you a drink?" Sirius shouted cheerfully over his sister's shoulder, blatantly saving her from being overheard.

"Yes, two Fire whiskeys and a Butterbeer. Hurry up; your father will be along any minute now. He's just speaking to Mr Malfoy." Walburga stated. A response which startled Ophelia, she turned to look for Lucius and her father. No doubt he already told her father about her little joke. Oh how she was in for it tonight, maybe sweet talking them would win him round; she _was_ in with the cunning Slytherin's after all. Finally she saw her father in the corner of the room, who was talking to Lucius' father, Abraxas. Ophelia always liked Abraxas, he was always nicer to her than any other of her father's friends, and Abraxas seemed to favour Ophelia over her cousins. Maybe Abraxas would soften the reaction of her father if he was to find out about her rudeness. Her whole body relaxed upon noticing this, then she turned back to engage in a mind-numbing conversation with her mother and younger brother.

Sirius strode across the dining hall towards the bar, taking his time to observe the other guest's in the room. He got to the bar and recalled the situation with the drinks earlier, then laughed to himself. "Two Fire Whiskey's and a Butter beer - now! Scum," he demanded as the elf scuttled off. He laughed to himself. As he planned, the elf returned with three drinks in rather poor condition. One of them even had a hair floating on the top, this pleased Sirius. He smiled at the elf, and whispered, "Thank you very much, Miss!"

On his return, he collided with a young woman who was dressed in a black corset type dress. She had a long, curly black mane and looked familiar to any of the Black family. "Sorry, precious Bellatrix. I mustn't have seen you there. Merlin knows how I missed you with that uncombed mop of yours." Sirius laughed and looked at her hair, swiftly turning to leave before he could hear her response. She looked as though she was to explode with anger, and Sirius couldn't look more pleased with himself. His happiness came to an abrupt end when he walked towards his mother and siblings.

"...Which reminds me, I heard about your entrance Ophelia, and as usual, I am utterly ashamed. You can't even manage a simple floo landing without embarrassing the family? You are an absolute disgrace." Walburga spat as she grabbed the Fire Whiskey's from her sons hands, "Ah yes, thank you Sirius. Please ensure your little sister doesn't embarrass me any further this evening." Walburga turned and sped off in the direction of her husband, leaving the siblings alone. The three may be related to one and other, they may share the same blood, and live under the same roof but each of them was very different from the other.

Regulus was a young faced boy, aged fifteen, though he acted a lot older. He held himself with the utmost pride, which evidently showed by the way he stood. He often stood with a strong grimace in the presence of Sirius and Ophelia, looking at his siblings as though they were dirt on his shoe. He was dressed in a black suit, white shirt decorated with a dark green bow tie, which he was fiddling with. His black hair was combed back flawlessly, not a single hair out of place. Regulus carried a black cane, which had a solid gold handle. The handle was carved into the shape of a snake's skull and engraved the words, "Toujours Pure" down the spine, mimicking the writing of the Black family emblem.

It is clear the Black's good looks passed onto Ophelia too, as she was rather beautiful. She was medium curvy build, and had lengthy, thick, brunette locks. She was average height, although compared to her brothers she looked like a dormouse, not even measuring up to their shoulders. A hot mess, everything seemed to go wrong for her, her makeup was smudged, her hair was chaotic from the floo landing and soot on the hems of her dress but yet she still managed to look elegant, and her family members despised her for it. She could wear Elf clothes and still pull it off. She wore a blue dress, decorated with a silver dove necklace which she was gifted to her from her favourite cousin, Andromeda Black-Tonks. Andromeda was the sister of Bellatrix and Narcissa. She was, like Ophelia and Sirius, born into a family she despised and who forced certain barbaric expectations upon her. Disowned for marrying a muggle-born wizard, Ted; she stood up for what she believed in, even if that meant her entire family disowning her. Ophelia admired her deeply, always hoping that she too would succeed in life the way she has because she knew one day, she was going to be outcast from her family. There was no way Ophelia could live her life in line with their twisted expectations. And though she hates them, the thought of what conflict will come, scares her. 

Finally, Sirius. He was of tall stature, and he was quite the opposite of his younger brother. He held a very welcoming pose, with a smile often on his face, if he wasn't in the company of his parents that is. Tonight he was dressed formal; black trousers, a white shirt which had half the sleeves pinned up, and a maroon waistcoat which was buttoned half way. Sirius was a very handsome young man, who loved to revel in rebellion, even in subtlety.

The crowd seemed to neglect their presence, only glancing over in their direction briefly to check the time on the grandfather clock which stood behind them. They stood rather awkwardly, and the tension could be cut by a blade. "It's such a wonderful feeling, being appreciated and accepted by your parents and your family, wouldn't you agree, Sirius?" Ophelia laughed sarcastically as she turned to stare at Regulus. "I wonder what it must be like to be their golden child." Sirius shot her a warning stare, and nudged her in the ribs.

"It's a whole lot better than knowing I'm their biggest regret. How must that feel, I wonder?" Regulus sniggered, as he saw his sister trying to hide her frown, "But I suppose you will come of use at some stage. Do tell me, Ophelia, has father told you his plans for you after Graduation?"

Ophelia looked from Regulus to Sirius, and confusion consumed her. "I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about Reg. Please, care to enlighten me?" She said, rolling her eyes.

"Be patient, _my dear sister_. Time will reveal all." He laughed sarcastically. He picked a handful of peanuts off the buffet table they were standing aside of, and walked off into the maze of people that stood before them. Sirius looked entirely lost. "What the hell..."

"...was that about?" Ophelia interrupted him. She took a sip from her glass and replied, "I have no idea Sirius, but what did I warn you about? We need to leave Grimmauld Place as soon as we can. Something just doesn't..."

"...feel right." Sirius finished the sentence for her. "I know, I've felt it too, for a while now."

"I'm going getting some air. I'll be back soon, if the old Troll asks, I'm using the ladies room." She faked a smile and turned to face the door before he could oppose. Ophelia made her way slowly across the giant ballroom and entered the archway out into the garden, which was lit with candles that were enchanted to float above their heads. She wondered what her brother could have meant, but in truth, she already knew; marriage. That has to be it, she thought. She had anticipated it for a while now, it only makes sense. Most of the Sacred Twenty Eight families had their daughter's marriages planned out since they turn sixteen, and she was almost Eighteen; two years late. The Sacred Twenty Eight were the only families left who were pure of magical blood, and they usually organised their children's marriages to take place as soon as they became of legal age, which was seventeen for marriages. She tried to keep her mind occupied, trying to ignore what Regulus had told her. She stopped to observe her surroundings; she took a deep breath and sighed. She noticed a golden harp playing in the corner of her eye and glitter fairies charmed above the veranda which lit up the garden.

She walked along the path of the garden to a water fountain, which had a magnificent rose bush growing around it. Ophelia sat on the side of the fountain and ran her hand through the water, parting the waves with her hand. She swirled her hands until a watery creature that resembled a snake, motioned its way around her fingers. The more she swirled her hand, the larger the snake grew. The snake slithered to the top of the fountain, glided around the mermaid statue which was placed perfectly at the top, and then suddenly it jumped head first into the pool, leaving nothing but ripples in the water.

Ophelia looked around at the bushes, flower beds and rows of lavender lit by enchanted candles and smiled. "I may despise them, but they sure do have a nice place." She muttered under her breath. She picked a red rose from the bush, and smelled its aroma. She strolled in the moonlight down the path to the glistening lake and began humming a tune, to which the night owls sang in response. She was watching the rabbits playfully chasing each other then perched herself under an old oak tree. The three rabbits ran happily to her side and Ophelia smiled. She began to ponder her thoughts, wondering what topics she will be covering this year in Hogwarts, the friends she hasn't seen in weeks, and then her thoughts landed on one individual in particular. One young man she's secretly been infatuated with for many months now. He didn't know of her feelings, of course, she didn't want to ruin the great friendship she had with him; not to mention her brother would go barmy if he found out. But that would be the latter of her problems, if her family found out her feelings, well, she may as well purchase her own casket now. He was a brilliant friend, and she missed him terribly.

Pulling out a quill and a piece of parchment from her purse, she looked out onto the lake for a moment, considering her thoughts then started writing. It wasn't long until she started to get lost in her letter. She finally finished writing and sighed, putting the letter to her side; she rubbed her eyes and yawned. She stood and as she turned she was startled by two robed figures that crept up behind her.

"Lucius! Bella! You gave me a fright. How long have you been stood there?" Ophelia shouted, trying to catch her breath grabbing her belongings and attempting to walk past them.

"Not so fast little cousin, what is that you have there? Who on earth could you be writing to while you're meant to be enjoying my party?" Bella taunted, laughing at her.

"That is none of your concern, Bellatrix," Ophelia spat.

"Oh but I disagree. You are on the property of my dear husband, or did you forget that? "Accio letter!" The woman laughed and waved her wand, catching the letter in her other hand. "Hmm, let's see, shall we?"

Suddenly her eyes shot to the young woman, who was tall and had long black hair that was held in ringlets. "Bella, hands off! That's private!" Ophelia bellowed and threw herself at the woman.

"Stupefy!" Bella shouted and flicked her wand towards Ophelia, sending her shooting backwards and crashing into the oak tree. Blood started to pour from Ophelia's face, and she tried to balance herself against the tree as she stood. Lucius laughed at the scene which unfolded beneath his eyes.

Bella started to pace the area, and began to speak, "If you don't mind, it's rude to interrupt when somebody is talking Ophelia; didn't Auntie teach you some respect? Maybe I should speak to them about that. Let's see... Hmm..." Bella grasped the letter and read it aloud, with a mocking facial expression, "Moony, I've missed you dearly. I'm aware it is full moon, so hopefully you'll read this in the morning and know I was thinking of you. Stock up on chocolate and be safe. Sirius sends his wishes. See you in two days. All my love, Ophelia'... Well, well, well, it sounds to me like somebody has been communicating with filthy half breeds. Full moon? Moony? Is this a friend? Or your lover? Oh dear, I wonder what your father would think of their daughter involved with a werewolf?" she laughed hysterically and screwed up the letter, throwing it aside. "You're no better than my damn sister. The pair of you are nothing but vermin, just like your filthy little friend," she sneered.

"Shut your vile mouth! You've got what you wanted, now if you don't mind putting your wand away and letting me get back to the party." Ophelia spat trying not to be sick as the injury to her head started making her awfully dizzy.

"I don't think so. You weren't welcome tonight, but your father insisted. He seemed to think you wouldn't make a fool of yourself this time, how wrong he was. We all saw your amusing entrance and now this. What would he do upon finding out the news that you're in contact with half breeds, Ophelia? I can't wait to see if he burns your pretty face off the wall too," Laughed Bella. "And what is that you are wearing? Why, it's my dear little sister's locket. Does Uncle Orion realise you are wearing a blood traitors pendant? I thought not. How disappointing it must be for him to have you as his only daughter."

Anger built up inside her and before she could stop herself, Ophelia's whole body tensed and shook with anger, "Not as disappointing as having a death eater for a daughter, I'm sure. Tell me, how is Tom recently Bella? Lucius?"

The two looked stunned, shocked to the very core. Then finally, anger grew in the young woman and erupted like a volcano. Ophelia seemed to realise what a terrible mistake she had made as she started to back away quickly. Bella raised her wand. Anger and hatred filled her eyes and she smirked. Ophelia reached into her bag and panicked as she realised her wand was in Sirius' pocket, she never usually leaves his side at these events. She was unarmed and she was pretty sure she was about to be killed on the spot. She noticed Lucius had sealed the area with the Muffliato charm so people couldn't hear the chaos. That was when she knew it was serious. Panic filled her veins and Bella let out a vicious cackle.

"HOW DARE YOU SPEAK HIS NAME? How dare you! You filthy blood traitor! You aren't worthy to speak his name! Stupid girl! CRUCIO!" She screamed and aimed her wand at a defenceless Ophelia, who cried in agony as the curse hit her. She hit the floor with a thud, and tears poured out of her eyes.

Ophelia felt like her very skin was a blazing fire. Screams echoed around the area, surely someone would hear this. Surely someone; anyone would come to help. She had a taste of the Cruciatus curse before from the hand of her father, but it was a tickle compared to this. Bella was known for casting a powerful spells, and now Ophelia knew the rumours were true. She knew Bella hated her, but didn't realise she would cast an unforgivable on her own flesh and blood. She started to feel sick with pain, dizzy and her cries became silent. A ringing sound in her ears started and everything became barely audible. Ophelia was disorientated. She opened her eyes and saw the blurry outline of the witch who was casting the unforgivable, Lucius and a familiar man behind them.

"STUPEFY!" Sirius shouted and shot a spell so powerful it threw Bella into the tree and knocked her unconscious. Before Lucius could turn around, Sirius fired a string of hexes at him, which led to being shot back onto the grass, immobilised and knocked into a sleep like trance. Ophelia didn't seem to realise the curse had been lifted, as her whole body still felt as though it was being punctured with blades. She managed to recognise her brother as he came close and sighed with relief. The one person she needed, as always, came to the rescue. A teary eyed Ophelia begged him for help. Sirius looked down at her and with anger and pity in his voice, he said, "I left you alone, for fifteen minutes and look at you." He pocketed the parchment and he helped her to her feet, though it was no use. She collapsed under the weight of her body, the curse took all her energy, and she struggled to string a sentence together.

"Sirius, I ca-"

"Hush, don't speak." He scooped her up over his shoulder and quickly followed the path around the side of the manor. "Merlin, Phe, you really need to cut back on the pumpkin pasties." He laughed and sped up a little, hoping to slip past the crowd's inside.

"Maybe... you... need... build more... muscles" Ophelia mustered up all the energy she could, until finally, all went dark.


	3. Dilly Divines

Brightness overwhelmed Ophelia as she opened her eyes, bewildered as to where she was. She was lay in the middle of a four poster mahogany bed which was draped in a white cotton canopy, decorated finely with similar white bed sheets. Ophelia felt the softness of the material against her throbbing face; she rubbed her forehead and adjusted herself slowly, grunting in pain as she moved. She tried to groan but her voice croaked. She moved the sheets which tucked her in, and noticed she was wearing a pink nightdress. Quietly pulling back the covers, Ophelia sat up and grimaced in pain as the sudden rush forced her head to pulsate.

Not quite brave enough to stand, she noticed her brother sleeping in an emerald green, winged armchair at the foot of the bed. He was snoring rather deafeningly, which made Ophelia smile. Sirius had dark circles around his eyes, which indicated she may have been here longer than just one evening, since he certainly didn't have those at the party. The shadow of a bruise was placed on the left side of his face, to which Ophelia frowned. She wondered what happened, but didn't want to disturb him. Sirius always took care of his skin, more so than his sister, which always made him the butt of the jokes. He even produced potions which made him look revitalised, healthy and can even bring you back from the worst hangover's. They were a huge hit at Hogwarts, especially when you try to hide a hangover in Slughorn's classes. It seemed as though Sirius had really been neglecting himself. He was wearing a white top and a pair of muggle sweatpants, grey in colour. Endless questions entered her mind, but she shook them off, for now at least. She desperately tried to remember how she got here, or where she was but she hadn't the foggiest; she was with her brother, though, so she knew she was safe.

She plucked up the nerve to stand, and a crushing urge to vomit overcame her. Upon noticing a jug of water on the bedside cabinet, she poured herself two glasses of water before the feeling of nausea subsided. She put the jug down, along with the glass and noticed a picture of a family; a happy family. A tall man with half moon glasses and short jet black hair was smiling with his arm around his wife. She was beautiful, and she looked rather radiant. Though she noticed the woman had a single tear on her cheek, but she was smiling. Ophelia tried to remember a time when she had been so happy that she cried, but sadly she couldn't. The woman had black hair too, shoulder length. She was cradling a young child in her arms and the couple couldn't have looked more content. She placed the photo frame back onto the drawers, Ophelia's whisper echoed. "The Potters."

She had always admired The Potters, and held the utmost admiration for them at all times. Ophelia longed for a family just like them, an affectionate, kind and loyal family who didn't force their children into pureblood mania. They let their son, James, choose his own path in life. Not to mention they spoilt him rotten. But Ophelia didn't crave material things, the only thing she wanted to feel was acceptance; something her parents never gave her or her twin. Sirius had given up caring about his parents and what they wanted a long time ago. She too, acted as though she didn't mind what they thought... but deep within Ophelia, she truly cared. She cared too much, forever dreaming for the day her parents would welcome her home from Hogwarts with open arms, fussing over her. As she had spent years witnessing all the other parents do and wishing hers would do the same. She knew this was never going to happen. She didn't express those feelings to anyone; especially her twin as he would just insist he was all she needed. True, she loved him, but she wanted more, she wanted a normal family. Not a home where she was frightened to voice her opinion, or where she was punished for being different. A home isn't a home when you do not feel love.

The effects of their childhood left more affects on them than they realised. Sirius was a very temperamental person but he was always seen with the famous Sirius grin plastered across his face, and most people knew him as the Hogwarts Heartbreaker; a rebel. But everyone seemed to love him, especially the females. The girls fawned over him. Playing pranks, jokes and laughing his way through most situations, Ophelia always joked that Sirius never really acted very serious. _The notorious Black twins_ were known for being stubborn, and he was almost as hard headed as his sister, which often resulted in him masking his feelings with humour and jokes. He was extremely protective over his sister, and people knew not to push their luck with him. Third year, he found out she was being bullied by two older Slytherin's. Sirius carelessly hexed them, which caused them to spend the weekend in the hospital wing. Nobody bothered her since, Slytherin's avoided her and Ophelia preferred it that way. Trouble always found him in school, constantly spending his evenings in detention for pushing his luck with teachers and students. He sometimes had outbursts where he flew off the rails, to which only Ophelia knew how to control. He would never hurt anyone though; he just didn't know how to control his temper.

Ophelia on the other hand, felt things too deeply. She always had. She has a sharp tongue and a fierce sarcastic, stubborn streak. Clumsy and careless with her words and her actions, trouble often manages to find her. With a deep need for acceptance, she often felt lost and alone during her younger years. She was an honest person who tried to do the right thing, no matter how hard it was. She was loyal deeply to those she loved, but heartless to those who didn't matter to her. In attempt to protect herself, she pushes people away except her those she loves. She hasn't many friends; she only needs a few who are loyal to her. Quick witted and a hunger for knowledge, she was a Hat-Stall, between Ravenclaw and Slytherin. Though, the hat decided on Slytherin, despite her begging and pleading for anywhere else.

Ophelia made her way across the room, and something startled her on the way past. She squealed and threw her hands up to her mouth, forgetting about a sleeping Sirius. She looked over and luckily he only shifted in his sleep, once she noticed his breathing returned to a heavy sequence, she turned back and observed the frightful sight. A reflection, her reflection, except it wasn't the one she knew. She stood in front of a medium sized mirror which hung on the wall and stared longingly into the eyes of a bruised and beaten girl. Her face wasn't _that_ bad, she tried to convince herself, it could be simply hidden by a concealment charm. A bruise curved down her cheek, and continued down her neck, round to her back. Touching the bandage that was wrapped around her head, she grimaced. She poked and prodded the multicoloured bruises, which ranged from brown to yellow in places. Her eye was a little raised too, but not obvious unless scanned up close. All the bruising on the right side of her neck could luckily be hidden by her hair. She trailed down her arms and noticed a very dark bruise on her wrist, which was most likely from the incident with her father before they left Grimmauld place. She felt sick, again. She always bruised like a peach but this was ridiculous even for her standards. She grasped her arm and her eyes filled with tears; choking back the urge to let out a huge cry. Mentally kicking herself, she decided she would look for her wand, in attempt to conceal this mess when she heard Sirius' voice full of concern, "You're awake."

She wiped away the tears prickling her eyes before she turned to face her brother; she forced a smile and beamed at him. He quickly moved towards her and gave her a bear hug, squeezing her a little too hard and in response she squealed. He let her go and gave her a stern look, "Ophelia I was so worried about you, what the hell were you thinking?!"

"I'm fine," she lied, "though you don't - you look as though you haven't slept in weeks."

She watched her brother pour himself a glass of water. "Not many people taunt Bellatrix Black and live to tell the tale Ophelia. I don't think you understand how much danger you put yourself in, not to mention how irresponsible you were. What you did back there wasn't only foolish, but totally brainless. Once again you failed to listen to me, and look what happened. You need to grow up and realise the dangers you put yourself in. When will you learn to start listening to me? When will you learn to control your mouth?!" He shouted at his sister, full of anger.

"I'll learn to control my mouth the moment you control your temper Sirius Orion Black."

"Don't call me that!" Sirius spat, "I thought I was too late, you are lucky to be alive. You are fortunate she didn't murder you, especially with the comment about her precious master. You know she is crazy for him, what were you thinking, playing with fire? She isn't forgiving at the best of times." Sirius had a dark look in his eyes and the seriousness of his voice pierced through the room like a knife.

"Oh enough!" Ophelia shouted, and she stared at her brother's stunned face. "Enough of the lectures. Stop attempting to scold me without taking a minute to understand how I'm feeling, you're starting to sound like father." She knew she went too far. Immediately Sirius shot an evil look at her and she quickly continued, "I know you have probably spent hour's reciting this speech on how to make me feel bad, well trust me Sirius, there is nothing more you can say to make me feel worse than I already do. I haven't the patience for another of your brotherly rants. I'm sorry that I defended one of the people I care about most. I'm sorry I took an Unforgivable Curse shielding one of my best friends from exposure. I'm sorry I disappointed you. Is that what you wish to hear?! Because I'm not sorry. I'd do it all over again if it meant she never spoke badly of Remus. Bella infuriated me, I guess I just didn't realise what I was saying when I mentioned You Know Who."

His eyes were a pool of sorrow and pity which quickly turned into anger. He clenched his fists, frowned and suddenly burst into a fit of rage. He violently kicked over an arm chair and threw the glass he was holding. It shattered into pieces and Ophelia was mortified. She had never seen her brother this angry before. Sirius frenzied in rage. He approached Ophelia and grasped her shoulders, shaking her slightly as he spoke, "Do you have any idea how worried I've been? How worried we have all been?! Do you? You stupid, stubborn, insolent girl! You could have died and you excuse it because _you didn't realise what you was saying'"_ He screamed, "And what the hell would I have done if you had died? Eh? What would I do without you - the only family member-?" His voice trailed off. Tears appeared in his eyes, "I cannot lose you." He turned away quickly, releasing her from his grasp. For which she was thankful. His words ricocheted around the walls and an uncomfortable tension surfaced.

Sirius threw himself down onto the bed and held his head tightly in his hands. Suddenly, realisation hit her hard as to how much he was hurting; how upset he really was. He had never yelled at her before, she was pretty sure the whole house had heard that performance. Ophelia was hurt, physically and emotionally. She was angry, upset and humiliated, but she also felt a pang of distress, and an enormous sadness for the stress she had caused her brother to feel. But she never intended for any of this to happen. She approached her brother with caution, knowing far better than to push her luck when he was in one of his moods. She perched herself next to him and mustered up the courage to speak, though she found herself incapable.

The two sat in silence for a few moments, until it was broke by Ophelia clearing her throat. Sirius didn't move, to which she rolled her eyes. She didn't know what to say but she couldn't bare the uncomfortable silence any longer. "Sirius, I'm sorry. Please, look at me." When he didn't move, she stood, "I'm pretty sure Mr & Mrs Potter won't be very happy to discover their room like this, help me will you?" She knelt down on the floor to pick the glass shards up, ignoring the sharp twinges of pain in her head as she bent. He didn't move, or say a word. Anger resurfaced inside her like a volcano erupting.

"Sirius! Please!" Ophelia cried.

A very cross looking Sirius stood up, and walked towards the door. He paused when he reached the doorway. Not bothering to look at his sister as he said in very plain, firm voice, "The house elf will be in soon to clear the mess and she will administer your potions. I would suggest you rest, but you never listen to what I say, do you?" He left, slamming the door behind him. There was a painful silence as he left her sitting on the floor and the silence consumed her. She started to sob silently on the floor of The Potters spare bedroom.

Shortly after, Ophelia managed to put most of her emotion aside and began to tidy up the residue of their fight. She was angry at her brother. She tried desperately to understand why he was so irritated, but she couldn't piece it together. She didn't think defending their best friend would make him so angry. A small knock at the door interrupted her train of thought.

"Come in," she said.

"Good morning ma'am, lovely to meet you! I'm Dyra, The Potter's elf." She squeaked in a high pitched voice. The small elf scurried into the room with a huge smile on her face and placed a tray on the table, with a pink teapot, two cups and saucers and a plate of biscuits. The elf handed Ophelia a purple sparkling potion. "Mr Potter instructed you to take this now you are awake; he hopes it will make you feel a little better. Your bandage can be taken off today too." She moved towards Ophelia, removing the bandage carefully. "Yes, much better. All healed, your bruises will go soon. How are you feeling? Oh" she stopped and looked at Ophelia. "You've been crying, Miss. Are you alright?"

"Yes I'm fine, don't worry. My head hurts a little."

"As to be expected Miss Black, the potion will help." She smiled as Ophelia drank the potion, which tasted extremely good. "Master Black said it was your favourite, Apple pie, I hope it pleases you?" She looked longingly at her, awaiting Ophelia's approval.

She nodded in response. It truly tasted rather scrumptious. "Please, call me Ophelia, or Phe for short. This is the best tasting potion I've ever had, it's a shame I can only have it when I've had a bump to the head." Ophelia laughed, "Thank you Miss Dyra. I hope I haven't been too much of a burden."

"If you are sure... Ophelia..." the elf hesitated upon saying her name. "Dyra is always happy to help friends of the Potters." She scuttled around the room and clicked her fingers. The remains of glass disappeared, and the armchair was put back into position again.

"Uhm, Dyra, do you know where my bag is? And my wand? I feel a little lost without it." Ophelia asked while looking at the floor.

"Of course Miss! One moment." The elf disappeared with a loud CRACK. Ophelia was left smiling; she strode towards the bed and started to flatten the sheets when the elf returned with another loud CRACK. "Here it is Miss." The elf passed her the bag and her wand.

"Thank you very much Dyra." She smiled, she felt so much better knowing she had her wand back. Suddenly there was a sharp knock at the door and it creaked open. A handsome but scarred face peered round, and a friendly voice spoke, "Safe to come in?"

Ophelia's face lit up with joy and happiness radiated off her. She ran and jumped onto him a little too hard, totally ignoring her throbbing head. He grunted and lifted her up into a tight embrace. He was quite tall, so Ophelia's feet couldn't touch the floor. She wrapped her body around him and squealed. She placed her hands around his neckline and embraced him tightly, but he didn't seem to care.

"Remus." She whispered in his ear, which sent a shiver down his spine. "I'm so happy to see you." She started to weep into his shoulder. He didn't say anything; he just held her closely while running his hand through her curls. Dyra looked at the couple and smiled, she quickly left without either one of them noticing.

Neither of them wanted the embrace to end; they stood in the doorway for several minutes. Ophelia had missed him terribly, everything felt complete when he was around. She thought about how nice he smelt. She blushed as Remus' cough brought her back from her thoughts, "Though I would like to stay like this all day," he laughed, "I think both of us could do with some tea." He walked over to the armchairs and placed her into the seat. She noticed he walked with a limp which she thought was unusual. She observed the young man before her, and admired how handsome he was. Maybe the feeling was amplified due to not seeing him all summer, she thought. He wore a baggy knitted jumper which was mustard colour, with a white t-shirt underneath. The colour suited him well; it really complimented his hazel eyes and light brown hair. His outfit was matched with dark blue muggle jeans and a pair of big brown boots.

Remus started to pour two cups of tea. She noted hers was made just how she liked it; two sugars and lots of milk. She noticed two new large cuts which were being covered up by his collar, but revealed as he bent to pour the tea. They looked red and fresh and she started to wonder how he got those this time. Remus looked at her and smiled, she felt herself getting lost. Ophelia started mentally praying that he wasn't a secret Legillimens as she felt a deep blush grace her face.

"A knut for your thoughts?" Remus grinned as he ran his hand through his hair. 

"Uhm. I was just wondering how this month treated you." She took the cup of tea from Remus' outstretched hand and took a mouthful which burnt her mouth. She scowled as she soon realised the tea was far too hot. Placing the teacup back onto the tray, she attempted to hide her embarrassment with a smile.

He chortled and sat down in the armchair next to her. "I feel fine." He took her hand and observed the bruise on her wrist, running his fingers over her skin. "Never mind me, how are you feeling?"

"I'm okay. I wish everyone would stop looking so worried."

Remus observed the girl sat before him. He quietly watched her eat a biscuit which she picked from the tray, dropping crumbs down her chest. He smiled, he missed her clumsiness. Remus looked her up and down in appreciation, and noticed she was still wearing her nightdress. His eyes wandered to places a best friend shouldn't be admiring and he mentally scolded himself. She's Sirius' sister, he would kill him if he found out he had any sort of feelings toward his twin. He eyed the bruises on her face, to which he attempted to hide his grimace. He couldn't stand to see her like this. "Remus, please; I hate it when you stare. Say something, and please don't shout I really can't be doing with another lecture." She said, looking at her feet rather sheepishly.

He laughed. "I'm not going to yell, that's more Sirius' job. And from his outburst earlier, I imagine you've heard enough yelling," he pointed at her bloodshot red eyes.

"You heard that?" She didn't realise who was in the house at the time of the argument. The feeling of utter humiliation came flooding back and her face started to heat up. She couldn't manage to look Remus in the eyes, so she continued to stare at the floor.

"Yes, but don't worry. James and I scolded him as soon as he came downstairs. I don't condone his temper, I never have... But I can sympathise with him this time Ophelia." Observing her curious look he quickly pressed on, "you don't understand. Neither of us have seen him like this before. He barely slept. He doesn't talk much. He doesn't eat. All he's done is sit by your side every day and refuses to leave. We had to slip him a sleeping potion just to get him to rest."

"Wait a second. Days? How long have I been here? What day is it?" she glared at him, words lingering in the air.

"It's Tuesday." He looked at her sympathetically while reaching into his pocket and grinned, "Chocolate?"

After noting her un-amused stare, he quickly carried on, "Maybe not. Well, I only got here yesterday. Full moon, recovery took a little longer than usual. But you've been here four days. Sirius sent James his Patronus on Friday around 10.30pm, telling him you were in a bad way and that he floo'd you into their chimney while he went to collect some stuff from Grimmauld Place. He begged him to help you and of course James did what he could. Sirius was frantic. He had to send you through floo because apparition would have splinched you, it was slower as he had to break into an old muggle house to use their chimney, but it was safer. James found you in a heap, covered in blood and soot. Of course James, Mr & Mrs Potter came to your aid. They fixed you up the best they could, but it wasn't looking good. They waited for Sirius, but he didn't show for about two hours. They didn't know what to do." He sighed and took a sip from his cup.

"And Sirius?"

"He returned to Grimmauld place... And while he was trying to leave, your father showed up. He's not told us what happened in detail. He won't talk about it." Remus told her, Ophelia's eyes widening in horror.

"All he told us was that he couldn't go back; that your father burnt him off the family tapestry and he couldn't go back. Mr and Mrs Potter welcomed him into their home with open arms, and I'm guessing that's where he will be staying during the holidays."

Remus sighed and took a sip of tea before continuing, "Sirius left Bella and Lucius in a pretty bad state. Your father obviously heard what Sirius had done and went after him. Apparently when Sirius arrived here he looked in a bad state himself, but he was only focused on you. He just wouldn't leave you. It took Mrs Potter two hours to persuade him to let her see to his cuts. Sirius only said that you were left on the tapestry, but he didn't know if he wanted you to go back there."

Her mind rolled into overdrive, all kinds of thoughts chased each other around her mind and she felt a surge of sorrow as she choked back the urge to cry.

"I need to speak to him. No wonder he hates me." She rose and headed for the door, but Remus pulled her back onto the arm of his chair.

"Soon, you need to listen. When you came here, Mr and Mrs Potter did all they could but there was no sign of improvement for days, you just seemed to be getting worse. Sirius was distraught. By the time you arrived, you had already lost so much blood from the injury to your head, which was accelerated by the Cruciatus Curse. The problem was your body was rejecting all forms of magic. Potions, charms, everything they tried had failed. They didn't know what else to do. James couldn't leave Sirius in case he went looking for Bella, or Lucius, and did something stupid."

Remus ruffled his hair and carried on, "I received an owl on Sunday morning. I came over as soon as I could and they explained everything. I didn't know what to do, I mean, there was nothing really I could do, but I sat with you and started to read you those muggle stories you love so much. The Wind in the Willows - if I remember correctly, its your favourite?"

She smiled, and nodded, appreciating the care he showed to remember the small things about her. 

He went on, "Once I had finished, I held your hand and told you to fight; to come back to me and as soon as I touched your hand, light radiated off you. I felt it... it was like a fuzzy feeling, warm, homely. I don't know why, or what it was, but I think the magic inside you helped you when nothing else would. Obviously, I called for help and by the time the others arrived, you started to look better. You were improving by the minute. Colour had returned to your face and there was a redness in your lips again. No longer did you have the deathly paleness in your skin. I mean - you were still badly bruised, but they began to fade. You responded to potions, and very slowly you came round. It was what muggles call, a miracle."

She was confused and didn't know what to think, or say. Sceptically, she laughed a little. "Is this some kind of joke? Are you mocking me? Because if you are, Remus, believe me when I say that even you will be scared of what I will do to you."

He couldn't hold back his amusement at her threat but howled in laughter, "I'd like to see you try... but no, it isn't a prank. I'm being serious."

"I'm pretty sure you aren't my brother." She joked.

They laughed together and smiled in the brief silence. "Phi, I'm telling you the truth. We don't know why it happened, but all we know is it did. You must be an extraordinary witch to heal yourself like you did. It must be a kind of defence mechanism I guess. The potions are starting to help now too, I presume you'll be up and about in no time. Mr Potter has organised for you to speak to Professor Dumbledore once we return to Hogwarts about this. He said he would come with you, if you wanted." He explained.

"I think I'll take some of that chocolate now please, Moony."

Smiling, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar labelled _'Dilly Divines'_ , it was a thin bar of white chocolate which melted instantly in your mouth. It was her favourite. Something she adored about Remus was his excellent attention to detail; he remembered everything and took his time to make everything perfect. She took a bite from the chocolate, and realised how hungry she really was. Remus laughed a little when she finished the bar within a minute. She remembered it was usually her bringing him the chocolate for his recovery, as a non-spoken agreement, whenever one of them happened to be ill, they brought chocolate. Which brought the topic back to his furry little problem.

"The letter; I wrote you a letter, but I lost it. I'm sorry we couldn't be there for you this month Remus. Imagining you all alone during the change upsets me. I wish I could have been there."

"I read it." Remus continued as he saw her confused facial expression. "Sirius gave it to me... he also told me what you did for me Phe. While I appreciate what you did, it wasn't wise. I don't want you putting yourself in danger again for me, do you understand?" He sounded very stern, which was unusual for him.

"I would defend you against You Know Who himself if I must. You-"

"Then you are a fool."

She bolted upright and gave him a stern look. "You will find it wise not to call me a fool!"

His mouth curled into a smirk. She dropped her tone and continued. "I won't have anyone tarring your name because of the wolf in you. You are one of my best friends and I would face a hundred Cruciatuses if it meant nobody ever spoke ill of you again."

There was a strange silence in the room, and the two stared at eachother. He sighed in defeat and they smiled as one. He placed his hand on her face and kissed her forehead. She hugged him and he pulled her into his lap. The feeling of his jumper against her face was soft, with the aroma of coconuts and cocoa. She wished she could just stay here forever, and forget about the chaotic world which seemed to unravel around them. The sound of his heartbeat against her head soothed her and she had started to drift off to sleep when Remus' voice disturbed her.

"Phi?"

"Hmm?" She grunted.

"You know, seeing you in that state made me realise how much I don't want to lose you. You mean a great deal to me Miss Black; don't scare a wolf like that again."

She opened her eyes and spoke softly, "I won't."

She noticed his eyes flicker to her lips then quickly back to her eyes. Ophelia tried to calm her racing heart but it was pointless, she was utterly infatuated with the man in front of her. He placed his hand on the side of her face, moved into her, and planted a kiss on her cheek. Ophelia looked at him and assembled all the courage she could. Putting her hands around his neck, she slowly kissed him on the lips. She pulled away for a second and thought perhaps he was angry, but before she could ponder it any further Remus pulled her into him, and kissed her passionately. The euphoria in the room was almost palpable. Ophelia placed her head back onto his chest and snuggled into him, falling soundly asleep.

She woke abruptly to the door swinging open and observed a happy looking James throwing himself onto the bed, which was opposite the couple sitting in the armchair. "Well, hello sleepy head. It's nice of you to wake from your slumber." He winked, and then he acknowledged that Ophelia was curled into Remus dressed in nothing but a nightdress. He gave a strange look, "I'm not interrupting anything am I?"

"Yes, a nap." Ophelia rolled her eyes and stood up yawning.

"You know, you really do look like crap Ophelia. Didn't I tell you Remus, it would be nothing but trouble letting a snake into the lion den." He laughed.

"Nice to see you too Prongs. Get your feet off my bed." Ophelia smiled and pulled James' legs from the bed and he stood up. He wasn't much taller than her, he was average in height. He wore a casual shirt and jeans, with round shaped glasses. His hair was jet black, and like his fathers, it was known for being unruly. It stuck up in all directions, as it always did.

He quickly picked her up and swung her in a circle, hugging her tightly as he stopped. "She's not even been here a week and she's moved in, anyone would think you were pining after me Miss Black." He joked. Ophelia looked over James' shoulder and noticed Remus rolling his eyes, and she laughed at his un-amused look.

"Either that or she was almost killed, Prongs." Remus added.

"Cheer up Moony; you can't get rid of the famous Ophelia Black that easily." He turned to look at Ophelia, and gave her a sincere look. "You dare to scare us like that again and I will kill you myself, do you understand?" He winked and hugged her again.

"I've missed you Prongs."

"Ditto, now stop flirting and get dressed." He joked. "It's almost 11 o'clock and you are still dressed in pyjama's you lazy little urchin. My mum bought you some clothes, they are in the drawers. Come downstairs when you've finished, she's making pancakes!" Dancing his way out of the room like a young adolescent child, leaving laughter behind him. "C'mon then Remus," he bobbed his head round the door, "I'm sure she doesn't need any assistance getting undressed... Do you? 'Cause I'm sure I could be more of a help than Moony." He laughed.

Ophelia threw a pillow at James playfully, "Get out! Before Sirius puts you in St Mungo's."

James erupted in fits of sarcastic laughter, "Oh I'd like to see him try, we all know I'm the stronger, more handsome marauder." He joked while exiting through the door; Remus rolled his eyes and made his way towards the door. Ophelia always admired James, and he truly was one of her closest friends. He didn't jump into fits of rage with her, shout or whine when she messed up, which happened to be a lot. He just made light of every situation, and that's what Ophelia needed. She desperately required humour, especially when her brother was in one of his moods. Ophelia was pulled from her thoughts as Remus paused at the door and smiled at her before he left. Ophelia couldn't suppress the overwhelming feeling of happiness that spread across her face, a fresh blush rose to her cheeks. She sensed the feeling of butterfly's playing eagerly in her stomach. Dancing across the room to collect the pillow from the floor, she reminisced about the kiss she shared with Remus earlier.


	4. The Bell Tower

'Artefacts stolen from within the heart of the Department of Mysteries; Nobody knows as of yet who was to blame and the only witness happened to disappear without an explanation. Minister of magic is conducting a full search into the whereabouts of the half-blood witch, Hannah Pilkin, who is aged 32 in attempt to retrieve the missing files.' Sirius laughed, "Are they stupid? Even the muggles could figure out that The Death Eaters had involvement in this." He continued to get lost in the newspaper, completely oblivious to his surroundings. "Bloody idiots."

The Potters living room had a Scarlett and Mahogany theme throughout. The room had two large book cases which reached the high built ceilings, with a movable ladder attached to the side. Mr Potter's desk was positioned in front of the bookcases, coordinated with a large cushioned red chair. Sirius was happily perched at the desk reading articles from his newspaper while across the room, James and Remus played chess.

"Remus, what was that about?"

Observing James' unimpressed facial expression, Remus quickly responded, "I have no idea what you are talking about Prongs."

"Don't play dumb. What is going on between you two? Is there something I should know?" James continued to question him with a curious look upon his face.

"No of course not; even for you James, that is extremely dim-witted." He said in a stern voice, in hope he believes the lie.

James looked over his shoulder towards Sirius, to ensure he couldn't hear the conversation. "She was sleeping in her nighteear, cuddling you Remus, if he had walked in, especially considering his current mood, he would have murdered you. Whether you are a fellow Marauder or not, sisters are out of bounds; surely you know that. I thought you were supposed to be the intelligent one Moony."

"She was in her pyjamas, Prongs. Stop exaggerating an innocent moment between friends." Remus shot a look at James and left the room with his mind overflowing with thoughts; imagining the touch of Ophelia's kiss. His summer holidays were spent thinking of her, and how to confront this situation. He came to the conclusion it wasn't worth the risk of losing his two best friends over it, so he tried to bury the feeling. He was succeeding, until her accident caused his emotions to resurface. Seeing her injured so badly made his whole centre shift, he no longer cared what happened to him if Sirius found out. He just wanted to hold her, protect her and keep her safe. But that was the problem, he couldn't keep her safe. Not really, not from his furry little problem. He didn't want to risk hurting her, so he couldn't possibly let it happen again, though he couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. He was confused, and lost in an everlasting battle between what felt good and what was right.

Deciding to check on Ophelia as it was almost time for their breakfast, he made his way upstairs. He realised her door was slightly open, and he peered inside. He could see she was dressed in a white sundress which elegantly shaped her every curve and stopped at her knee. Remus watched as she pulled a baggy, dark blue knit-jumper over her head. Her curls were still slightly damp from the shower, pinned half-up-half-down with a clip. He shouldn't be invading somebody's privacy like this, he thought to himself. But he couldn't manage to tear his eyes away from the young woman who stood before him, oblivious to his presence.

Ophelia took out her wand and attempted a concealment charm on her wrist. She muttered the spell on three separate occasions, and each chant had failed. Her bruises didn't change colour in the slightest. "Remus was right." She whispered. Slamming her wand down on the dressing table, this resulted in three bright sparks shooting from the tip. The multicoloured sparks whistled around the room like a firework, and they seemed to be chasing each other. Ophelia watched as they rocketed around the room, intertwining into each other as they fizzed away.

"You really should look after your wand." Remus stood at the door in a fit of laughter.

Ophelia span round, startled. "Well maybe you should learn how to knock Mr Lupin."

"Touché. But I thought I was the one who was always right?" he winked at her with a huge grin on his face.

A blush rose to her face as she wondered how long he had been watching her. "It has been known to happen, I guess..." She joked and pulled him out the door, heading for breakfast. They walked together down the stairs and Mrs Potter greeted Ophelia with a warm hug as she entered the dining room.

"Ophelia darling, how are you feeling? You look a lot better. Oh we have been worried." She hugged her again, and Ophelia noticed Sirius sulking off into the garden, not even glancing her way. Angered at how he walked away without saying anything to her, she forgot to reply to Mrs Potter. "Ophelia, darling, are you alright?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry; I was away with the fairies. I didn't mean to ignore you Mrs Potter."

"It's fine dear, you don't have to apologise here." She smiled warmly at Ophelia, holding her shoulder. "Are you sure you are feeling okay?"

"Mum, stop fussing, the poor girl has only been in the room five seconds." James rolled his eyes at his mother.

Ophelia scowled at James, "Ignore him Mrs Potter, I'm fine. I'm extremely thankful for everything you have done for me and my brother, and you sir." She looked between Mr & Mrs Potter and smiled gracefully. "I wouldn't be alive if it hadn't been for you, I'm sorry I've been such a burden. If there's ever any way I can repay you..." She looked almost ashamed of herself.

"Enough of that nonsense, we would do anything to help you both, and you Remus. And please call me Euphemia; none of this Mrs Potter nonsense." She said while pulling her tightly into another hug.

She sat down between Remus and James at the dinner table, pouring herself a glass of Cranberry Juice. An awkward tension seemed to rise between her and Remus, as neither of them knew what to say. Luckily James was too busy filling his face with croissants to notice. Mrs Potter served pancakes, and they all dove straight in. Ophelia felt as though she hadn't eaten in weeks; her mouth was almost drooling. She helped herself for seconds, and even thirds before she finally stopped. James looked rather impressed. "I taught you well, Phi." He laughed.

Ophelia quickly excused herself, while Dyra cleared the table. She collected a stack of books, and perched herself on the seats in the garden. The Potter Manor had acres of stunningly beautiful gardens which lead onto a small lake, and the whole manor was surrounded by trees. The girl immersed herself in the books, in hope to be prepared for the upcoming year at Hogwarts.

Before she knew it, hours had passed. She stretched and went for a walk in the gardens. Ophelia found herself worrying of many things, Remus; what would be to come of their relations? Her father; what will he say about the incident at the party? Will he come for me? Images of him throwing the Cruciatus curse in her direction for her disobedience sprung into her mind and she quickly shut her eyes, attempting to shake the thought. Sirius; will he ever forgive me? She felt a knot appearing in her stomach, the thought of losing her twin over this situation made her feel uneasy. Before she knew it, her magic was wildly radiating off her. She frantically tried to control herself and to which the magic slowly eased. Her mind drifted to Hogwarts, and she wondered what everybody would think once they found out. It was guaranteed all of Slytherin knew about it, almost all their families were at the party. News travelled fast when you were in a strict pureblood family. Ophelia often wished she could have been a Gryffindor, like her brother. She seemed to fit in more with other house members, than Slytherin.

Later that evening, Ophelia entered the living room and noticed Remus and James sitting by the fire playing a muggle card game. She smiled, and soon noticed Sirius sat in an armchair reading Hogwarts; A History. As soon as Sirius noticed his sister, he closed his book and stood.

"Please may we talk? I can't go on like this Sirius."

"And I can't go on watching you put yourself in danger Ophelia."

"I'm sorry! I really am!" Her yell echoed around the room, to which a silence dropped. James and Remus sat rather awkwardly but continued to play their game. Her voice was now barely a whisper and she continued with a heartfelt speech. "I'm scared Sirius. I'm scared what father is going to do. I'm scared that I won't be brave enough to face everyone at Hogwarts, that I can't hide the marks. But most of all, I fear that I have lost you. I can't do this without you Sirius; I can't face the world without my brother by my side. I'm sorry you have lost everything for my mistake." Her words hung in the air while the girl stared at the floor, unable to look him in the eye. "It wasn't my intention."

Sirius observed his sister and pulled her into a hug. "Pheeli, I'm sorry I lost it, I just can't lose you."

"You will never lose me; I swear I'll be careful next time."

"Next time! There won't be a next time." Sirius scowled with amusement in his tone.

She laughed and hugged him tightly. Her tears stained his white t-shirt, though he didn't seem to mind.

"Well finally, it's about time you guys made up." James laughed and noticed Remus staring at Ophelia. "Come on Sirius, you can help me pack my things ready for tomorrow."

"Can't you do it yourself?" Rolling his eyes, "Ugh, fine. Hurry up, I'm tired."

Ophelia desperately wanted to speak to Remus, but her bravery quickly disappeared as James and Sirius left the room. The air was filled by another uncomfortable silence, until Remus stood up and walked towards her. The butterfly feeling soon returned to her stomach and she suddenly felt nervous. Is it warm in here, or is it me? She thought as she took a few deep breaths and ruffled her hair as he approached. He leant in to her, and Ophelia anticipated the soft, warm feeling of his lips on hers. But the feeling never came. She opened her eyes and saw Remus had grabbed his books from the table next to where she was standing. A fresh flush of red rose to her face, stupid, stupid, stupid.

"Well, I best retire early tonight; I'm feeling rather worn-out myself." Remus said in a hazy, sleepy voice. "Goodnight."

He left her standing in the living room, mulling over the conversation she just had with him. "What the hell was that all about?" She said aloud as she poured herself a glass of Pumpkin Juice. He looked as though he was at one of Slughorn's meals, not as though he was talking to the girl he kissed a few hours previous. He didn't smile, or hug me. She ranted silently to herself as she too, turned in for the night after coming to the conclusion she was just over thinking the situation.

The next morning, James and Sirius were sleeping soundly through their alarms. Ophelia came barging into their bedroom, followed by Remus. "WAKE UP! RISE AND SHINE! Merlin's beard, you two are the laziest people I know. We're going to be late if you don't hurry up. Remus and I have been up for hours."

"I'm sure you have." James laughed and pulled the covers over his head.

Scowling at him, Ophelia clicked her fingers and the curtains pulled open, revealing the bright morning sun. The covers of their beds flew off, and Ophelia looked pleased with herself.

"Hey! I could have been starker's for all you knew." James glared at Ophelia while rolling over.

"Well I'm sure we wouldn't have seen much." She laughed, "Now hurry up! Sirius! Aquamenti!" Cold water squirted from Ophelia's wand and soaked her brother, who quickly jumped out of bed and attempted to chase Ophelia as she swiftly ran out the door.

"What are you doing?! Just wait until I get my hands on you. Oh it's on!" Sirius tried to look stern but couldn't hold back his laughter, his once clean pyjamas now soaked to the core. He walked into the bathroom and suddenly, his chuckle came to an abrupt end. He spotted his reflection in the mirror. "Oh crap! My hair! Moony, what time is it?"

"7.45, we leave in less than an hour."

"Double crap. Quickly Prongs, we really did sleep late." Sirius shouted from in the bathroom, and quickly started to undress. He applied a drying spell on himself and changed into a pair of black jeans and a loose t-shirt with a muggle band on it, which he knew would really annoy his parents if he happened to bump into them on their travels.

"We would be fine if you didn't take hours to fix your hair, Padfoot." James laughed.

"Well one of us has to make an effort. Besides, I believe Miss Mckinnon is longing to see me." He poked his head around the door and winked. He threw himself into the armchair and started to fasten his boots.

"Oh yes, dear Marley. I'd of thought that by now you would have gotten bored and found someone else."

Sirius stared at him and raised an eyebrow, struggling to hide his amusement. "Hmm, that's rich coming from the guy who has been rejected by Lily Evans every day since second year, yet still follows her around like a lost puppy."

"Ouch!" He laughed, and grabbed his heart jokingly. "I only meant that you are Sirius Black; I've never seen you obsessed with a girl before."

"I am not obsessed!"

"What is this then?" James grinned, holding up a picture of Sirius hugging a fair haired girl. The young woman had stunningly long blonde hair, blue eyes and she was tall and extremely feminine. She was only a few inches shorter than Sirius. The two looked very happy together, and she was kissing Sirius on the cheek while he leant against a tree with his arm around her. The picture was taken on a spring afternoon at the Black Lake, Hogwarts.

Sirius looked mortified. "Where did you find that? You're such a nosey git Prongs."

"In your bedside drawer, so tell me again how you're not obsessed with her?" James waved the picture in the air, teasing him looking extremely happy with himself.

Sirius took out his wand and whispered, "Accio." The picture flew through the air and he swiftly caught it, stuffing it in the pocket of his leather jacket.

"Don't be a spoilsport." James laughed.

"I'll meet you downstairs." Sirius smiled and levitated his trunk out of the room.

The trunk bashed against the wall on his way down the stairs almost breaking ornaments and picture frames. Ophelia laughed, observing her brothers struggle. "Do you need a hand with that, Sirius?"

"Shut up, I've still not forgiven you for this mess." He pointed at his hair smirking. Planting the trunk down in the hall, he managed to fix his hair to an acceptable standard.

"Where is James?" Mrs Potter popped her head around the door with a frown. "We're going to be late."

"He won't be long Mrs Pott-"

Suddenly, there was a loud CRACK, and James appeared behind Sirius.

"Did someone call?" he smiled and handed Sirius a small briefcase.

"What is this?"

"Well, the general use is to put your belongings in. Gee Sirius; I didn't think you were that dense." James laughed and in response Ophelia giggled.

Rolling his eyes, Sirius replied, "Obviously. But why have you given it to me?"

"Mother has put an undetectable extension charm on it. She gave Ophelia a handbag with the charm on it too. It'll make it easier for us to apparate out of here, not to mention we don't have to cart around trunks all day. My things are already inside."

"And you couldn't have told me this upstairs? Prongs! I almost broke your parent's chandelier on the way down." He laughed.

Mrs Potter smiled, "I went to Diagon Alley a few days ago, we bought all of yours and Ophelia's new school things, and they are in there too."

Both Sirius and Ophelia looked shocked, as those items won't have been cheap. "You didn't have to do that Mrs Potter, thank you. We really appreciate everything you've done for us." Sirius beamed at her.

She smiled gracefully, "No need to thank me. Come on now you three. I sent your Owls ahead; they will meet you at Hogwarts. Wait a second, where is Remus?"

"Right here, Mrs Potter." Remus came from behind her in the doorway.

"Fabulous! We will apparate to just outside of Kings Cross station. James, you go with Ophelia. Sirius, you will go with Remus. I and Fleamont will go last. Make sure to wait near the Bell Tower."

"Come on then, beauty's before beasts." James laughed, offering his arm to Ophelia. She laughed and held it tightly, before disappearing from the room with a loud CRACK.

Ophelia opened her eyes and she was stood, linked with James precisely underneath the large Bell Clock Tower. She looked at him, and noticed his face had turned to a light shade of green. "Are you alright, Prongs?"

"I'll be fine, I've got to admit, although I may seem absolutely brilliant in all aspects of my life, apparition isn't my strong point." The two laughed together, when they were interrupted by two loud CRACKS. Sirius and Remus appeared, followed by Mr & Mrs Potter.

"Come on then, or we will be late." Mr Potter said. "I see that James hasn't perfected apparition yet?" he joked.

"Oh no, I have. It's just Ophelia's bad breath that is turning me green. I'll be fine." Roars of laughter erupted between them all; Ophelia playfully slapped James on the arm and pretended to look offended.

Together, they walked into Kings Cross station. Ophelia couldn't help but feel nervous. She hadn't managed to hide the bruises fully, but Mrs Potter helped a little by applying some make up which hid the extent of her injuries. A gnawing feeling of dread grew in the pit of her stomach, as she realised the possibility of bumping into her family here. Ophelia wore a black hooded jumper, a pair of tight fit, skinny blue jeans and black under-knee boots in hope she would blend into the crowds. After spending an hour the previous night figuring out what would hide her bruises best, she decided on this particular outfit. She noticed James hadn't unlinked her arm, for which she was somewhat grateful as he seemed to be helping her stand. The feeling of nausea soon passed when they approached Platform 9 and 10. Every time Ophelia had been on this platform, the happiness radiated from her very soul. The excitement of the experience always overwhelmed her, watching the first years nervously board the train, students waving off their parents, and the sense of safety which she always felt. Hogwarts had always felt more like a home to her and Sirius, rather than a just a school. They were always much happier here. Out of the blue, she realised that this would be the last time she would be boarding the train to school and she couldn't help but feel awfully sad.

They stopped at Platform 10, and looked between each other.

"See you on the other side then." James said, running towards the wall that separated the two platforms. Remus was next, who was followed by Mr & Mrs Potter. Soon after, Sirius vanished through the wall leaving Ophelia by herself. She took in every moment, as it was her last. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and started to walk towards the wall slowly. But rather unexpectedly, someone put their arm round her and gripped her shoulder, whispering in her ear in a deep voice, "It's about time you got here. Have you missed me?" They continued to walk through the wall together, before Ophelia could recognise the mysterious person who was holding her.


	5. Hogwarts Howling

Appearing from the other side of the platform, a taller boy had his arm firmly around Ophelia, who looked totally befuddled. Gasping in shock as she turned to observe who had hold of her.

"Sev!" her shriek echoed around the platform as she leapt to hug him. "I've missed you so much." She hadn't seen him since before the holidays, and she noticed he seemed to have aged a little over the past month. Severus had a more mature look about him, his shoulder-length black wavy hair looked a lot healthier than she had seen it before, he didn't look as exhausted and his skin showed some colour. Usually, he was the total opposite. He often strolled into class with greasy hair, dark marks around his eyes from lack of sleep, baggy clothes and his skin was so pale it would make the Bloody Baron look human in comparison. She wondered if this meant his home life had improved or was it simply that he had mastered a top-notch replenishing potion during the summer. Severus was dressed in his uniform already, and he had excitement painted all over his face.

"Ditto Phe, are you eager to start a new year? Ready for me to kick your skinny behind in potions?... What happened to your face?" He pulled the hair away from her face and she shook him off her.

"Don't w-"

"That's none of your concern, Snivellus. Now if you don't mind leaving us, we're busy." Sirius spat, interrupting Ophelia.

"Oh Sirius, why so serious? I've missed you too." Laughing sarcastically, Severus scowled at Sirius who was looking rather agitated.

"Sirius, just give us one minute." Ophelia said.

Rolling his eyes, he turned away to stand with James and Remus while Mr & Mrs Potter bought themselves a mug of coffee from the stand.

"Sorry about him, he's a bit..."

"Of an arse? Oh I know."

"Well, you could say that." The two laughed together and Ophelia hugged him once more before turning away. "I'll see you at the feast. Save me a seat."

Severus re-joined his group of friends and Ophelia couldn't help but worry about him. His friends were known to be involved in the dark arts, and they were frequently seen with The Death Eaters. She cared for Severus a lot; he was the only friend she had in Slytherin for many months. Even now, she only had two other friends in her house and that was Marlene McKinnon, she was a half-blood who seemed far too engulfed in Sirius to even notice her half of the time, and there was Cassius Prince, who was a pure-blood. Cassius was distantly related to Severus, although he didn't seem to get along with him for the same reasons as her brother; because he was involved in the wrong crowd. But despite Severus' struggles, regardless of the home, he was raised in and how he went through similar to what she and Sirius did; Ophelia knew he had a good heart.

She rummaged through her bag in an attempt to find a drink, but the undetectable extension charm that Mrs Potter placed on it made it virtually impossible to find anything without getting in the bag itself. She strolled over to Sirius and nudged him in the ribs. "Why can't you two at least try to get on? For my sake if not his."

"Because he's a total nut-job and I don't approve of your friendship. Everybody knows he's up to his eyeballs in dark magic, why would you _want_ to be near him?" He laughed and James smirked.

"He's my friend, Sirius, do you realise how awkward it makes me feel constantly being stuck between your arguments?"

"ZZzZZzzZz" Sirius' fake snore made the group laugh, while Ophelia just pouted. She forgot how immature he can be. She never understood why they couldn't just be friends, or at least be mature about the situation. Running her hand across the red paintwork of the train, she admired how beautiful it really was. She looked around and saw a few first years looking extremely nervous and she smiled. Steam was slowly starting to fill the air when Mr Potter said, "You four best board the train before it leaves without you."

"Thank you for everything, Sir."

"Please, call me Fleamont, Ophelia. Have a lovely last year back, and we will see you at Christmas."

Ophelia smiled and hugged him, then Mrs Potter. "Thank you."

"Anytime sugar. Have fun; try to keep your brother and James out of trouble." She laughed while squeezing her. She then made her way over to James and attempted to flatten his hair, cuddling him tightly.

"Mum! Gerroff me." James scowled while his mother just fussed over him even more.

Sirius, Remus and Ophelia laughed while they got onto the train in search for an empty carriage. Ophelia couldn't hold back the happiness surging through her body while a huge smile appeared on her face. The Hogwarts Express reminded her of all the happy times in her life. The strong smell of Pumpkin Pasty's and Honey Hoodoo's hit her as she walked in, which brought back all her memories. The first time she boarded this train with Sirius, she was so nervous but excited. Their first year was the only year their parents fussed over them, they stayed to wave goodbye and even packed them some sweets for the trip. Throughout the year, however, their parent's attitude had changed dramatically towards the twins. As soon as they found out Sirius was in Gryffindor, they despised him. They treated him poorly, and Ophelia often threw herself in their way defending him. Regulus had started during their second year, and of course, their parents were thrilled to have one child who wasn't rebellious and easily conformed into their idealistic expectations of _the perfect pureblood child._

The train started its engines and slowly puffed down the tracks; they all waved to Mr & Mrs Potter and sat themselves down in an empty carriage, just when a short young man entered the room. He was a plump and dumpy sort of boy, who wore baggy clothes and had frizzy brown hair. He tripped and dropped a pile of books on the floor upon his entrance.

"Oh Wormtail, you haven't changed in the slightest have you? Still clumsy as ever." Sirius laughed while helping him with his books.

"And we wouldn't change that for anything." Ophelia smiled sweetly. "What have you been up to during the holiday's Peter?"

"Nothing much." he squeaked. "My mother has just opened a shop on Diagon Alley, so I spent the majority of it there. Boring really."

Interrupted by a knock at the door, a girl with beautiful copper coloured hair popped her head around with a smile, "Sorry to interrupt but I must steal James, Head boy duties."

"You can steal me any time, Miss Evans." James winked. "See you guys later." They both left the carriage, and the rest of them discussed the summer antics and latest gossip.

A few hours later the train pulled up to the station, which caused mild chaos between all of the students as they exited the train and boarded the carriages to be pulled up to the school. They were all dressed in their uniforms, and the trunks were already in the halls of Hogwarts. As the carriage pulled up to the school, Ophelia jumped down and fell onto the ground with a thud, completely misplacing her landing.

"Gee, Phe. I didn't realise you were actually falling for me." Remus winked and pulled her up into his arms.

"Moony if you don't mind, that is my sister you're flirting with," Sirius warned, laughing it off. Ophelia's head began to throb and she clutched her forehead tightly as everywhere began to spin.

"Are you alright? Phe?... Talk to me." Remus held her arms as she looked into his eyes.

"I'm fine, just misplaced my foot."

"You don't look fine." Sirius interrupted, looking concerned. "Maybe we should take you to the hospital wing."

"I'll be fine, stop fussing," Ophelia replied as she strolled up to the castle, stumbling a little as she found her feet, leaning on Remus occasionally. The students made their way across the gardens and into the main hall, Ophelia stopped to admire the views when they reached the entrance of the castle. You could see everything from here, even though it was dark. You could see the shimmer of the moon reflecting onto the black lake, and to the left was the entrance of Hogsmeade, which left a slight glow of the lights.

"I'll see you later, and remember... No more trouble." Sirius laughed. She smiled at him then made her way to the Slytherin table. She noticed Severus was sitting with his creepy group of friends, so she decided on sitting further down the table, in hope of avoiding them completely.

A man who was older in age, with a white beard, purple robes and half-moon glasses stood at the front of the hall near the staff table. He beamed at the students. "Good evening and welcome to another wonderful year at Hogwarts. We hope this year is as productive as the last. Although we do have a small surprise for you this year, The Hallow Ball will be held on October 31st, but this year there is a slight change. We will be inviting two other schools to join us and I would like you all to be on your best behaviour. I have also been told to warn you, there is strictly no wandering around after nightfall and those of you who are sitting your NEWTS this year, study group is a must. I will be holding it in the hall Wednesday evenings. I expect to see you all there. Now, enough chit-chat, let the sorting ceremony commence."

The students gave a round of applause as the sorting hat began to speak. " _Oh you may think I'm just a hat, but what lies beneath is so much more. It doesn't matter to me whether you are rich or poor. If you are slightly insecure, I will prove to you my skill by finding the house where you will soar."_ She smiled and watched the first years get sorted into their houses.

"Thomas Survee. HUFFLEPUFF!"

To which the Hufflepuff table cheered, and a few of the Slytherin's laughed. She rolled her eyes as she recalled the memory of her Sorting.

_Four rows of long tables, full of students sporting black robes all coordinated with different colours, for each table. The first she noticed was Slytherin; the house of Green and Silver. She saw a few people that she recognised from her parents friend's houses. Lucius Malfoy was there, along with Bellatrix, who were in their sixth year. The next was Ravenclaw; the house of Blue and Bronze, and she noticed Gryffindor; Scarlet and Gold. The last table; the house of Yellow and Black. Hufflepuff; she looked around and everyone on the table looked warm and welcoming. She smiled and decided she could see herself settling there. "Hufflepuff is the worst house out of them all. You don't want to end up there; everybody who was a nobody ends up there." A boy, same height as her whispered. He had blonde hair, short and she noticed glasses folded in his pocket. She frowned at him and looked away, completely ignoring his comment. "I'm Cassius, by the way. Cassius Prince." He smiled at her and she responded in a very glum manner, "Ophelia Black." She looked away, admiring all the tables which all looked equally amazing. Ophelia was just happy to be here, it felt like this day would never come._

" _Black, Sirius."A lady shouted from the top of the hall, which immediately grabbed her attention. She looked at her brother and they smiled together. It was the Blacks' family tradition to be placed in Slytherin, every family member had been sorted there for generations, but neither Sirius nor Ophelia wanted to be placed there. Ophelia looked back to the Slytherin table and noticed Bellatrix scowling at her; she looked at Narcissa who waved at her. Then she found Andromeda, who looked at her with a huge grin on her face, she was sat further away from her sisters which Ophelia found odd._

" _Hmm, tough... I see a lot of courage, with a need to protect those you love. Definitely brave, would you fit in Slytherin, like the rest of your family?" The hat said loudly while Sirius shut his eyes, awaiting his fate. "Maybe not. I think... GRYFFINDOR!" Sirius jumped for joy and danced his way over to the Gryffindor table. The Gryffindor table cheered. Once he was sat, he looked at his sister and smiled._

" _Black, Ophelia." The lady shouted, and Ophelia froze. "Come on, don't be shy."_

_Cassius nudged her and she eventually made her way up to the seat in front of the whole hall._

" _Another Black! Ha! What a curious mind, cunning too. Hmm, you hold incredible power within you, crafty. Resourceful, brave... when you have to be. Extremely witty, with a sharp tongue. You have a thirst for knowledge and rather creative which would be best suited for Ravenclaw... But I can't ignore you are a perfect match, so I say... SLYTHERIN!"_

_Ophelia couldn't move, she was shocked to the core. She looked over to the Slytherin table and noticed Bellatrix was cackling away along with her friends. She did not want to be in Slytherin, anywhere but there._

" _Come on, quickly now. Go and sit down."_

" _Please, can't I be placed somewhere else?"_

" _I'm afraid not, now go." Ophelia stood and sat at the table which had been assigned to her, left crushed at the thought of being in the wrong house. Bella enchanted a paper plane to crash on her plate and Ophelia read it out loud. 'We're going to have so much fun, little cousin.' She noticed her cousin was in fits of laughter as she scowled at Ophelia. Andromeda wrapped her arm around her and whispered in her ear, "Ignore her; we really will have so much fun. I'll make sure of it." She smiled sweetly at her; she always loved Andy, even if she was a few years older than herself. It was nice to have someone looking out for you.'_

"Ophelia? Merlin Phe, time to wake from your daydream. The feast is almost over and you haven't touched a thing." Whispered a pretty blonde girl opposite from her.

"Where the hell did you come from Marlene?" Ophelia rubbed her eyes and started to play with the food on her plate.

"I've been here for ages. You've just been away with the fairies again." She laughed. "And since when did you call me Marlene?"

"How have you been? We've missed you."

"We?"

"Sirius and I, obviously." Ophelia watched as Marlene turned into a fresh shade of red, "We meant to visit over the holidays, but we got a little held up."

"Yeah, I can see that. What exactly happened to you?"

"I'm sure you've heard by now, Marley."

"I've heard the rumours. But who really believes anything that comes from your little brother's mouth?" She laughed and Ophelia smiled.

"What exactly has he been saying?"

The two were interrupted by a voice behind them. "Just that she was a disobedient little hag and Bella put you in your place, of course." He laughed with his friends while the two just rolled their eyes.

"Oh yes Regulus, how terribly great of her to harass an unarmed witch, but you forgot the part where Sirius hexed her into next week. I heard she is still recovering in St Mungo's... what a marvellous wedding present that must have been." Ophelia and Marlene stood up in fits of laughter and left the great hall.

"He's such an arse." Ophelia laughed.

"I agree... Did Sirius really do that?... Ah!" Marlene squealed.

"Did I really do what?" Sirius crept up behind her and pulled her into a bear hug.

"Uh... Nothi-"

"Have you missed me?" He started to kiss Marlene's neck, to which Ophelia cringed.

"Do you mind? I don't want my last meal to make a reappearance, thank you." Ophelia laughed.

"Don't be jealous, Phe."

"Ha! Jealous of what exactly?"

"Well, I don't see you having a man in your life?" Sirius laughed.

Ophelia rolled her eyes, "Only because you hex anyone who comes close."

"Because that's my job." He winked, "and you better remember it."

They laughed and Ophelia pouted, "I'm going to bed, goodnight."

That night she spent her time unpacking her things, getting everything ready for tomorrow's lessons. She observed her timetable; double DADA with Professor Wilkins, Transfiguration with McGonagall before lunch, then Potions with Slughorn all afternoon. She threw herself on the four-poster bed and fell asleep while reading _History of sacred magic._

The next morning, Ophelia skipped into the great hall with glee, feeling unbelievably happy to be back at Hogwarts this year. Ophelia was determined to make this year count. She perched herself on the Gryffindor table next to Remus, who was reading something from the Quibbler. James was sat with Lily next to him discussing quidditch related business, and Marlene was sitting in Sirius' lap caressing him while he scoffed down some toast. "Can't you two keep your hands off each other for five minutes? We're eating!" She laughed, putting a pile of fruit on her plate.

"If you don't like it, you can always go back to sitting on your own table." He laughed.

"Yeah, no thanks. So, has everyone decided who they will be taking to this year's ball?" Aiming her comment at Remus, who grinned from behind his newspaper.

"I have nobody in mind..." James said, grinning at Lily.

"Me neither." Sirius added. Marlene and Lily both rolled their eyes with a grin on their faces.

"What about you Remus? You must have someone in mind." James looked between Ophelia and Remus; in return she blushed, hoping Sirius didn't notice.

"Maybe." He winked and looked to Ophelia. "But I'll probably end up staying in the common room revising; our Potions exam is in November."

"You are such a romantic. Hey, here's a thought. Maybe you can take Slughorn to the ball, you never know, he might be a smooth dancer."

"Shut it Prongs." Remus shot a look at James and they laughed.

Screeches, whines and hoots echoed around the great hall as owls swooped down from all directions, parcels, letters and gifts landed in front of different students. Sirius and Ophelia didn't expect anything from their parents; they just watched everyone else as they opened their letters.

"These are from my mum, for you and Phe." James passed Sirius a box full of chocolates. Sirius started wolfing them down while Ophelia grabbed a handful, laughing at her brother.

"Here's a letter for you, Phe." Remus handed her a red envelope with a black stamp. Examining the envelope, she frowned in confusion. The envelope flew out of her hands and formed the shape of a mouth. Before Ophelia realised what was happening, a man's angry voice shouted from the letter and echoed around the room. She froze and her eyes instantly widened when she recognised whose voice it was, "Ophelia Cassiopeia Black! How dare you besmirch The Black's name by wandering around with a WEREWOLF! I didn't think it was possible to be more humiliated to call you my daughter, but it seems I was wrong. After all these years, you still think it wise to provoke me? Have you forgotten who I am?! We gave you clear instructions not to make a fool of us and look at the disaster you caused. We would be lucky to marry you to a troll after your performance, you vile creature. But listen here you insolent little brat, I will ensure that Bellatrix's performance will feel like a mere tickle compared to what I will do to you if I hear that you step one foot out of line again. I will know... I find out everything. You cannot hide from Orion Black." The letter caught into flames and sizzled away into nothing.

All eyes seemed to be focussed on the Gryffindor table after the performance of the Howler. Ophelia silently prayed that the ground would swallow her whole. A blush was burning her face as she noticed everyone was staring at her, and almost everyone at the Slytherin table burst into laughter. Shame, resentment, and humiliation washed over her as she choked back her tears. She fiddled with her thumbs and looked between Remus and Sirius. Her brother saw the pain in her eyes as she struggled to accept what just happened. "Hey, don't-"

Ophelia stood up and ran out of the hall in a flood of tears, ignoring the laughter and insults from the crowd of Slytherin's. Sirius pushed Marlene off his lap and stood, "I'm sorry. Our father is a delightful man, as you can tell." Sarcasm ran through his words, as he turned to sprint after his sister.

He couldn't find her; it was almost as if his sister had disappeared. "Ophelia! Where are you?" He spent ten minutes searching the castle for her before the obvious hit him. _The Map. How could I have been so stupid?_ He laughed to himself, knowing perfectly well she couldn't hide for long. Sirius stood to the side of the desolate corridor and pulled out what looked like a spare piece of parchment from his back pocket, unfolded it and whispered, " _I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."_ With a tap of his wand, the parchment revealed a map which showed Hogwarts, and everyone inside the building.

"Come on, come on." He muttered as he searched for Ophelia's name.

"Aha! _Mischief managed_." He folded the parchment up and placed it in his pocket, while sprinting towards the stairs.

As he reached the top step, he noticed that the floors were flooded. Sirius frowned and followed the water, which led to the girl's bathroom.

"YOU!" A ghost appeared, flying around Sirius. "Get your sister out of here; she's made a right mess you know. I hope you are going to clear it up!"

"Oh sod off Myrtle, you moaning git." Sirius frowned as he opened the door of the bathroom, and heard the muffled cries of a girl in one of the cubicles. The water started to form into the shape of a snake, and it hissed as Sirius stepped forward. The snake curled around Sirius, leaving him shaking in the snake's coil, attempting to move the water away. "Phe? Come out, please... You can't stay in there forever... Uhm, I may need your help with your little friend."

The door opened and Ophelia stood there, tear-stained eyes and puffy cheeks staring longingly at the water-formed snake. She smiled at her brother, and the water collapsed hitting the floor with a thud. The fluid started to evaporate into thin air.

"I really hate snakes, you know." He smiled at her and she just looked at the floor. "Oh Phe, don't be upset. That's what he wants, just ignor-"

Her eyes flashed with anger and she scowled at him. "Ignore it?! How on earth do you expect me to ignore what happened Sirius when the entire school overheard our lovely father's scoldings? I've never been so humiliated." Tears pricked the corners of her eyes and Sirius pulled her into a tight hug. He couldn't stand to see her in distress, especially because of their parents.

"I'm sorry. It will blow over, and nobody will say anything to you, I promise you that." He paused, wiping her tears with the corner of his sleeve. "Now, are you going to tell me what exactly happened here?"

"I just... lost control."

"Explain, Phe?"

"I don't know. I came in here, upset and angry. I washed my face in the sink, and started to play with the water in attempt to calm me down. But it overwhelmed me; it didn't calm me down. I just sizzled in anger. And at that moment, it was like the magic exploded. It broke the sinks, and flooded the room. I couldn't calm down, it just got worse... Until I saw you flapping your arms because of being held by the snake, it made me giggle."

"Well, I am glad my misfortune amuses you. Come on, let's clear this up and get out of here." Sirius laughed. They turned to the door and noticed a tall rugged man leaning against the frame. Ophelia observed him closely as he scowled at her; he had black hair which was tied into a bun, and a scruffy beard to match. He was a tanned man and had a large scar across his cheek which fell down onto his neck. His black robes draped in the water as he stood, he held a neutral expression and his stern voice boomed around the room. "Oh, dear... Miss Black... Look what we have here." He smirked.

"Professor Wilkins, I can explain."

"No bother. You will spend the next two Friday evening's in detention with me for your carelessness..."

"But Sir-"

"Do you want to make that three?"

Ophelia shook her head and he smirked at the girl's defeat. "I didn't think so. Sirius, you will stay and clear this mess up. And you, come with me." He pointed at Ophelia as he turned towards the door.

She trudged down the corridor behind the Professor, and looked back apologetically to her brother. Struggling to keep up with his fast-paced stroll, she walked as quickly as she could and disappeared into the corridor.


End file.
